There’s no real American tradition when it comes to Christmas dinner entrees. Some people opt for a roast turkey; some people choose a Christmas ham; and some people go the seafood route with Dungeness crab. But this year, buck all of those trends to try something a little different: cornish hen.
Few people know exactly what a cornish hen is – it sounds very regal and fancy, but in reality it’s just a young (4-5 week old) chicken, weighing about two pounds on average. The fun aspect of cornish hens is that they’re small enough to be able to serve one per person, which makes plating awesome (because who wouldn’t want to be served a plate with a tiny little chicken on it?).
Cornish hens are a different breed than the chickens you’ll usually find at the grocery store, but as far as taste goes, they’re very similar – so much so that you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from the meat alone.
The other major benefit to cooking cornish hens is that they roast much more quickly in the oven. About 45 minutes to one hour as opposed to a few hours in the oven with a normal sized chicken. That can help minimize your time in the kitchen, so you can spend more time enjoying the holidays with family. It’s also great if you just really want to roast a bird, but don’t want to be stuck with 10 pounds of leftovers (assuming you’re hosting a small holiday gathering).
Either way you look at it, a cornish hen is a great alternative entree for the holidays. Here’s how to cook one:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt 4 Tbsp butter and keep it to the side. Wash the cornish hen (or hens) thoroughly with water and pat dry. Place them in the roasting dish and use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter all over the skin. Make sure that every bit of skin is covered. Sprinkle the bird with salt and pepper, along with any specific herbs you prefer (we like fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon on top!).
Cook the cornish hen for 45-50 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Take the hens out of the oven and let them cool for 10-15 minutes before plating and serving.
